Eye Of The Storm
by autumnrose2010
Summary: Bonnie Blue Butler's parents give her a trip to Europe for her birthday, but she ends up in Egypt instead, where she meets Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia. A few of the events in this story actually happened. Many of them didn't, obviously.
1. Meeting George

_A/N: The real George Alexandrovich was sickly and died of tuberculosis when he was 28, but in my story he's perfectly healthy._

As soon as I stepped of the ship, I knew that something was terribly wrong. It was far too bright and sunny to be England, the land I had originally set out for. The natives were deeply tanned, and babbled in a language I'd never heard before.

Swallowing back my panic, I quickly determined that the first thing to do would be to find out where I was, the second to find out how to get to where I was supposed to be. It was the first time in my life I'd ever been this far away from my parents, and I knew that my mother, especially, would be worried about me.

Amidst all the dark faces, I finally saw a lighter one and felt immensely better, although of course I had no idea whether its owner even spoke English.

He was a very nice-looking young man who looked to be about my age. He was tall and slender, with very short medium brown hair, a neatly manicured mustache, and the clearest blue eyes I'd ever seen. He was immaculately dressed in some type of military uniform. He caught me looking at him and gave me an inquiring glance, and I felt my heart begin to flutter.

Mustering all my courage, I approached him. "Excuse me, sir, but could you please tell me where I am?"

"You don't know where you are?" He spoke fluent English with a very slight accent, which I later learned was Russian, and his eyes registered first incredulity, then amusement, as he laughed out loud.

Anger surged through me as I tossed my head and stalked away in anger.

"Hey, wait! I'm sorry." His voice was penitent as he followed me and lightly touched my arm. "I didn't mean to laugh. You just startled me, that's all."

I turned to glare at him, but the warm friendliness in his eyes quickly softened me. "I think I'm lost," I told him. "I must have boarded the wrong ship by mistake."

"And where were you headed?"

"England. My parents gave me a trip to Europe for my birthday."

He started to laugh again but quickly checked himself. "I'm sorry, madame, but you're a long way from England. This is Egypt."

_Egypt! _I was dumbstruck. I'd learned about it in school, of course. It was where the pyramids and the Nile were, but beyond that, I knew next to nothing about it. Panicked, I started to cry.

"Hey." My new companion's voice was soft as he placed a caring hand on my shoulder. "It's not so bad. Egypt is a really interesting place to visit as well, and later on we'll go to India and Japan."

I stopped crying and stared at him in shock. "Who's 'we'?"

He chuckled. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm George Alexandrovich of Russia." He bowed deeply. I was completely charmed.

"I'm Bonnie Blue Butler of Georgia," I told him.

"Georgia?" He cocked an eyebrow quizzically.

"It's in the United States."

"Ah, _that _Georgia." He laughed gently. "We also have a territory called Georgia. It's to the south and borders Turkey and Armenia."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

"So are you traveling alone, then?" he asked pleasantly.

"Yes, except for Rufus and Sadie."

Rufus and Sadie were the son and daughter of former slaves who now worked as servants for my parents. They'd been sent along with me for companionship and protection during travel.

"My brother Nicholas and I are traveling with my Greek cousin, who's also named George, and our servants as well," George told me. "Why don't you join us rather than trying to make your way to England? We'd love the company."

"Very well," I said after only a moment's hesitation.


	2. George Drops A Bomb

"You and Nicholas are Russian, but your cousin's Greek?" I asked, confused. "Cousins are usually from the same country."

"George is my cousin on my mother's side," he told me. "You see, my mother and my Uncle George are originally from Denmark, but my Uncle George lives in Greece now."

"And how did your mother come to marry a Russian man?" I asked.

"It was an arranged marriage. She was supposed to marry my father's older brother, but he died, so she married my father instead." His eyes were twinkling, and he had a bit of a sly smile, so I suspected there was something significant he hadn't told me yet.

"Come on," he said with a friendly smile. "I'll introduce you to the others."

We walked from the docks to a nearby inn, Rufus and Sadie following silently. The glare of the sun on the sand made me squint, and I was glad I was wearing a hat. We arrived at the inn to find one young man reading and the other exercising.

"Look what I found at the dock, Nicky," George said with a grin. The young man who was reading looked up and gasped in surprise. He had the same blue eyes and dark hair as George, but no mustache.

"Meet Bonnie Blue Butler from the United States," George said with a grandiose flourish.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Butler." Nicholas smiled and kissed my extended hand. "I'm Nicholas Alexandrovich." Although he looked very similar to his brother, he seemed much more serious, and perhaps even a bit shy, unlike George.

"What are you reading?" I asked him.

"Military procedures. I imagine you'd find it quite boring."

"I imagine you're right." We both laughed, and Nicholas returned to his book, signalling that the conversation had ended.

George introduced me to his Greek cousin next, and he seemed quite open and friendly, more similar in personality to George than to Nicholas.

"Your brother seems very serious," I remarked to George later, once we were out of earshot of his cousin and brother.

"He's lovesick," George told me. "He pines for a woman who will not marry him."

"Why won't she marry him? Does she love another?"

"No, she loves Nicholas as well." I saw the beginning of that sly smile again. "The reason she won't marry him is that she would be required to convert to the Russian Orthodox faith, and she's a devout Lutheran."

"But surely the two faiths aren't that different..."

"Alix had a rather tragic childhood. Her mother died of diphtheria when she was just six. She embraced her Lutheran faith very strongly as a way of coping with that tremendous loss." I wasn't really sure that I followed his reasoning but I didn't say anything about it.

"And what about you, George? Is there a woman you love?"

"None that I feel strongly enough about to give up my bachelor status, although of course that's always subject to change." His eyes were twinkling again, and in that moment he reminded me very much of my father.

"What about you, Bonnie Blue? Is there a man waiting back in Georgia for you?"

"Please, just call me Bonnie." I chuckled slightly and glanced downward, suddenly self-conscious. "And no, there isn't."

"It certainly isn't for lack of beauty."

I felt awkward as the warmth spread over my cheeks. "My father has set rather high standards for any man who wishes to court me."

"Would he consider allowing a Grand Duke to court you?"

"What?" I was taken aback.

"A Grand Duke. A Prince of Russia."

I felt as if all the wind had just been knocked out of me. "Are you telling me that you're a Prince? The son of the King of Russia?"

"The Tsar," he corrected me. "And yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you."


	3. George's True Intentions

_Dearest Mother and Father,_

_I did not arrive in England as planned. Instead I arrived in, believe it or not, Egypt. All is not lost, however, as I have met the nicest, funniest, most handsome man I could ever hope to meet. His name is George Alexandrovich Romanov, and he's a Grand Duke of Russia. His older brother, Nicholas, is the Tsarevich, and he also has another brother, Michael, who's much younger, and two sisters, Xenia and Olga.  
I know you are probably having a hard time believing this is true, as did I myself at first, but George has convinced me that it is indeed true, and all of his traveling companions have also assured me that it is.  
Rather than attempting to make my way to England alone, I have accepted George's generous offer for me to travel with his party. From Egypt we shall travel to India, and then to Japan. Rufus and Sadie are still accompanying me, so there is no danger of impropriety.  
I do not know when I shall return home. I hope that everyone is well. Please give them all my love.  
_

_Your loving daughter,_

_Bonnie Blue_

I sealed the envelope and asked George where the nearest place to post it was. "I'll take you there," he offered generously. As we walked along, I talked to him about my family.

"Mother was married twice before she married my father," I told him. "Her first husband was Charles Hamilton. He died at the beginning of the war from typhus. He's my bother Wade's father. Next she was married to Frank Kennedy, my sister Ella's father. After Frank died, my parents got married, and I was born."

"Sounds as if your mother had rather dismal luck with husbands before your father came along."

"My father actually met her before she married the first time. That marriage happened rather quickly. The war had just began, and she married him right before he went off to war."

"And she never saw him again."

"Right."

"She must have been devastated."

"I have no idea. She never even talks about Charles at all, or about Frank either, for that matter." By that time, we'd arrived at the post office.

* * *

I was almost asleep that night when I heard muffled voices from the other side of the closed door. Curious, I silently crept toward the door until I was close enough to hear what they were saying.

"You can never marry her, you know." That was Nicholas. "Father would never allow it."

"Who said anything about marriage?" That was George. "She's beautiful, and I enjoy her company, just as you enjoy that of Mathilde."

"She's from the American South," Nicholas replied. "They have a completely different set of morals and standards there from those of the ballerinas of the Imperial Court. I tell you, George, she will never consent to be your mistress."

I gasped, shocked. Was it truly George's plan to attempt to lure me into his bed? If so, what could I do? Where could I go? I was all alone, except for Rufus and Sadie. How could I make it all the way to England? What if George found me? Could he force me to return to him? Frightened out of my wits, I returned to my bed to lie there wide awake and shaking for hours.

I suppose I must have somehow drifted off to sleep eventually, as I was awakened by the late morning sun shining in my eyes through the window the following day. Startled, I jumped up and made my way to the breakfast table, where Nicholas and the two Georges were just finishing their meal.

George frowned with concern when he saw me. "Are you all right, Bonnie? I was just about to send a servant to check on you."

"I'm fine," I forced myself to say. "I...just had a hard time falling asleep last night. That's all."

"Are your sleeping quarters uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Oh, no, they're fine," I replied quickly. How on earth could I learn of his true intentions without revealing that I'd eavesdropped on his conversation with his brother the previous night?


	4. Sharing Family Histories

I could feel George's eyes on me as I ate, and when his brother and cousin left the table, he lingered. "What is it, Bonnie? I can tell you have something on your mind."

"I am merely concerned about what your intentions are toward me, George." I wasn't able to meet his eyes.

"Ah, so you overheard the conversation Nicky and I had last night."

I quickly looked up to see that he seemed amused rather than angry. "There's no need to fear, sweet Bonnie. I'd never expect you to compromise your principals in any way."

Relief swept over me, and at the same time, it occurred to me to wonder whether or not he was a virgin himself. I knew that my own father hadn't been a virgin when he'd married my mother, even though it had been his first marriage. Neither of them had ever specifically told me that; it was just something I'd always known, perhaps due at least in part to my father's close friendship with Belle Watling.

Suddenly I felt George's finger lightly caressing my cheek. "I hope I've set your mind at ease."

"You have, thank you."

"I'd never do anything to hurt you, Bonnie."

The days seemed to fly by like magic. In this totally unfamiliar land so vastly different from the England I'd anticipated, I found happiness, adventure, and yes, love. George and I spent many pleasurable hours together, sometimes in the company of his brother and cousin, sometimes on our own. In the joy of getting to know him, I discovered that, despite our completely different backgrounds, we seemed to have an amazing amount in common. He was as close to his mother as I'd always been to my father, and his older brother Nicholas reminded me in many ways of my older brother Wade.

"Do you ever wish that you were the heir to the throne instead of Nicky?" I asked him once.

"Never!" he said emphatically. "I'd never want to have the responsibility for an entire country on my shoulders. I've felt that way ever since my grandfather was assassinated."

"Tell me about that."

"I was not quite ten years old," George began. "He was returning from the Mikhailovsky Menege one Sunday when someone threw a bomb under the carriage he was riding in. My grandfather wasn't injured because the carriage was bullet proof, but after he got out to see what had happened, another person threw a bomb right at his feet. It blew his legs off and ripped his stomach open. He lived long enough to make it back to the Winter Palace, where he died several hours later. Nicky and our father watched as he took his last breath."

I shuddered. "How horrid!"

"It wasn't the first time someone had tried to kill him. There had been four other attempts on his life before that one."

"I never knew my own grandfather," I told George. "He died in an accident before I was born."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bonnie."

"He never was right after my grandmother died. She died of typhus during the war. First my Aunt Suellen caught it, and then my grandmother caught it from taking care of her. My mother always hated my Aunt Suellen after that."

"Well, she couldn't help getting sick, I suppose."

"Mother and Aunt Suellen never did get along very well," I told him. "Remember how I told you about my mother's second husband, Frank Kennedy? Well, he was Aunt Suellen's beau before he was Mother's husband. Mother stole him from Aunt Suellen."

"No!" George was grinning, and his eyes twinkled with interest.

I nodded solemnly. "Mr. Kennedy owned a mill. It was right after the war, my grandmother was dead, my grandfather had gone soft in the head, and the Yankees had destroyed their plantation and freed their slaves. My mother needed a way to support herself and my brother Wade."

"So she took her sister's source of financial support for herself. True sisterly love."

"I suppose she thought of it as payback for what had happened to my grandmother."

"A rather clever revenge." George was smiling and shaking his head incredulously. "Your mother must be a very interesting woman."

"She's certainly different," I agreed.

"And what about you, Bonnie Blue Butler? How similar to your mother are you?"

"My father has always said that I remind him of the way my mother used to be before the war and all the other bad things that happened."

"I've never known a girl like you, Bonnie," George said thoughtfully. "Are all American girls like you?"

"In what way do you mean?"

Well...bold, free spirited, not afraid to say what's on your mind."

I shrugged. "Some are more than others, I suppose. My sister Ella, for instance. I guess she's not as much that way as I am."

George's story of his grandfather's assassination turned out to be peculiarly ominous in a way, considering what happened later in Japan.


	5. Assassination Attempt

The trip to India was fairly uneventful, and from there we traveled on to Japan. We visited Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Kobe, and Kyoto, and on May 11, we went to Lake Biwa in Otsu.

The sun shone on the blue water, and the shore was white sand, along which an occasional tall tree with upwards-reaching branches could be seen. It was a very large lake; the water extended for as far out in the distance as you could see, with various small grass-covered islands dotting its surface.

George and I took our shoes and socks off and walked along the shore holding hands and letting the water lap at our feet. On the shore, Nicholas and Greek George sat engaged in conversation, while Rufus and Sadie watched us closely. True to his word, George hadn't so much as touched me, except to hold hands, since the conversation we'd had that morning in Egypt.

"I'm so glad I met you, Bonnie," he told me. "This journey wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable otherwise."

"And I am glad as well." I blushed with pleasure. "Although I feel a bit sorry for your brother. He must be quite lonely."

"Yes, he misses Mathilde quite a bit."

"Who's Mathilde?"

"Mathilde Kschessinska, Imperial ballerina. He first met her several years ago, when he and Mama and Papa watched her dance in Swan Lake. She chased him like mad for about a year after that, but at the time, he had his heart set on marrying Alix of Hesse. He was devastated when she turned his proposal down. Mathilde was there to comfort him, and they began an affair. Mama and Papa were shocked and scandalized. It was part of the reason he was sent on this trip with me and our cousin."

"Do you suppose he'll resume the affair when you return to Russia?"

"When _we _return to Russia. I have no intention of abandoning you along the way." He laughed. "And yes, knowing Nicholas, he will return to Mathilde. She was his first lover, and the only one so far. My brother is very much a one-woman man, although they can never marry, of course, and besides..."

"Why can't they marry?"

"The heir to the throne is absolutely forbidden from marrying a commoner."

"And what about you?"

His eyes held a faraway look. "Perhaps we should head back," he said softly.

For the remainder of the visit to the lake, George discussed Japanese culture with his brother and cousin.

We were on our way back to Kyoto later in the day when it happened. Suddenly, one of the policemen escorting us swung his saber at Nicholas, cutting the right side of his forehead. He tried to swing again, but Greek George intercepted the blow with his cane, and the attacker ran away.

Nicholas' wound began to bleed profusely as the rickshaw drivers rushed us back to Kyoto, where we were all taken into the Kyoto Imperial Palace. "Is he going to be all right?" I asked George as soon as we were all settled.

"The doctors say he will be." I knew that he was very worried about his brother, and I wished that I could do something to make him feel better. Tentatively, I hugged him, and he pulled me to himself and held me tightly, not saying a word. It sounded as if he might be crying, but I couldn't be sure. We stood like that for a very long time.

If I hadn't been so distracted by my concern for George, I would have been overwhelmed at the novelty of spending the night in a palace for the first time. Outside, the gardens were charming, with cherry blossom trees and arch-shaped bridges suspended over trickling streams. Inside, the floor was made of large, identical marble squares side by side and arranged in multiple tiers, and the walls were decorated with numerous colorful paintings arranged in perfect symmetry and with black and gold borders.

We returned to Kobe the following day, where we spent a few days exploring warships in the harbor before journeying back to Russia.

George's family was waiting to greet him and Nicholas when we arrived. From the descriptions he'd given me, I recognized each family member right away: tall, broad-shouldered Tsar Alexander III, his petite, dark-haired wife, Tsarina Maria Feodorovna, beautiful, proud Xenia, young Michael, who looked to be about thirteen, and little Olga, who was a mere child.

Standing apart from the family and outside their range of vision, I immediately noticed a tiny, dark-haired woman who was obviously awaiting our arrival at least as eagerly as they. She was stunningly beautiful, her eyes dark pools of onyx, a proud tilt to her head.

I knew exactly who she was.


	6. Meeting George's Family

The royal family just stared at me, bewildered.

"Mama, Papa, this is Bonnie Blue Butler from Georgia in the United States," George said. "I met her in Egypt, where she'd accidentally ended up instead of England. I couldn't just leave her to find her way across two continents alone, so I invited her to join us for the remainder of our journey."

"It's lovely to meet you all," I said, curtsying politely.

"Son, I've never known you to have the propensity for taking in strays," the Tsar said at last. "I'd expect this sort of behavior from your brother much more readily than from you."

I heard the thinly veiled disapproval in the monarch's voice and glanced at Nicholas to see that his ears were bright red.

"Oh, leave him alone, Sasha," the Tsarina gently chastised her husband. "I'm sure he meant well." She smiled at me. "Welcome to our home, darling." I got the impression that George could do no wrong in her eyes.

"Thank you, Your Grace," I said gratefully. Following the Tsarina's lead, the rest of the family greeted me warmly.

By the time I'd met them all, Mathilde had gone, but I suspected that it wouldn't be the last I'd see of her.

* * *

"These will be your sleeping quarters during your stay with us," George told me later. The room was surprisingly sparse, considering the grandeur of the palace itself, but it looked snug and comfortable.

"My brothers and sisters and I have always lived like this," George told me, undoubtedly noticing my surprise. 'It's father's idea of toughening us up, I suppose."

"Toughening you up?" I laughed. "Preparing you to invade and conquer the Mongols, you mean?"

"Preparing us for the responsibility of ruling a nation. Especially Nicholas." Suddenly George looked very serious. "He fears that Nicky is too soft, too indecisive, and too easily swayed, that he will never be a competent Tsar." I felt awkward, unsure of how to respond.

"Well, that's about it, I suppose." Suddenly George's happy grin was back. "I hope you'll be comfortable. Please let me know if you need anything."

I sat down to write a letter to my parents.

_Dear Mother and Father,_

_At last we've arrived at the Winter Palace in Tsarskoe Selo. It's grander and more splendid than anything you could ever imagine, but my sleeping quarters are much more plain than my bedroom back home, even. George says that he and his brothers and sisters have always lived like that because his father's a strict disciplinarian. The Tsar does indeed seem to be a very stern man, cold and astute in some ways, but I can tell that, deep down inside, he's a very caring man who's devoted to his family and his country.  
In many ways, the Tsarina seems to be the opposite of her husband, as she is very warm, friendly, and outgoing. George's personality is very similar to hers, and I can tell that he's her favorite.  
Although I'm happy here with George, I do miss you both and everyone else very much. I don't have any idea when I'm coming home. Please give Wade and Ella and the others my love.  
_

_Ever your loving daughter,_

_Bonnie Blue Butler_

Days passed quickly for me in the palace. I got to know the royal family and their servants quite well, and went on picnics and other excursions with them. It truly seemed like a life straight out of a fairy tale to me.

One day George asked me about the boys I'd known back home.

"I guess there was never really anyone but Beau Wilkes," I told him. "His father worked at my mother's sawmill. He was born during the war, like my brother Wade, so he was a few years older than me. I had kind of a crush on him for a long time, but he never really saw me as anything but a little girl. My sister Ella was a lot closer to his age."

"I could never have seen you as just a little girl, Bonnie." George smiled his most charming smile, and I just melted inside.

"Of course not. How could you have?" I replied. We both laughed heartily.


	7. Mathilde

One afternoon, George and I went horseback riding together in the palace gardens.

"I thought Nicky was coming as well," I said when I saw that he was unaccompanied. I knew that the two brothers enjoyed one another company and usually did things together.

"He said he had a headache," George told me. I had a funny feeling that there might have been more to it than that, but, determined to have a good time, I let it go.

We'd been riding for less than an hour when lightning flashed in the sky, and it was suddenly raining, hard. Chagrined, we took our horses into the stable and rubbed them down, then went inside.

I was on my way back to my room to change into dry clothing when I heard muffled voices from behind a closed door. Curious, I stopped to listen for a minute. A male voice that I immediately recognized as Nicholas' was speaking in low tones, and then a female voice laughed, a high-pitched, tinkling laugh.

I went on my way to my room and changed clothes, then went to find George. As I was walking back down the same hallway, I saw Mathilde hurry out of the room and run in the opposite direction. I only saw her back, but I knew it was her.

At the evening meal, Nicholas and George both acted exactly as they always did. I wondered whether George knew that Nicholas and Mathilde had spent the afternoon together.

A few days later, I finally received a letter from my parents.

_Dearest Bonnie,_

_We were both so pleased to hear from you, although we were, of course, quite perturbed in your change of plans. I cannot believe that the traveling agency we contracted with were inept enough to make such a colossal mistake, especially after all the money we paid them.  
Even so, it appears that things have worked out rather well for you. It was indeed a stroke of good fortune that set you in the path of the Russian royal family. A Grand Duke! That exceeds the highest hopes we had for you in terms of marrying well.  
Please, darling, remember what we told you about not compromising yourself, as you know that, although that may initially succeed in capturing a man's attention, in the end you will lose him, as he shall choose a woman of virtue when he is ready to marry. We trust that you have the wisdom to make the right decision where such matters are involved.  
It grieves us, especially your father, to know that you are so far away, and we have no idea when we shall ever see you again, but we know that as you are now an adult, we must allow you the freedom to choose your own life.  
Please remember that we will both always love you very much.  
_

_All our love,_

_Mother and Father_

Suddenly I felt an unexpected pang of homesickness and began to cry. A few minutes later, I felt the soft touch of a feminine hand upon my shoulder. Expecting to see George's mother, I turned around and was shocked to see Mathilde instead. Both of us just stared at one another for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"I was crying because I'm homesick," I finally told her, breaking the silence. "I miss my parents and brother and sister."

"You're George's American friend." She nodded in understanding. "Nicky told me about you. I'm Mathilde."

"My name is Bonnie Blue Butler." I smiled and shook her hand. As curious as I was about her, I suddenly found myself tongue-tied.

"I've seen you around." Her dark eyes were fixed on me, as if she were trying to read my thoughts. "Tell me about America. I've never been there."

"The state I come from is called Georgia. It's in the South. It's a lot warmer there than it is here in St. Petersburg. There are pecan trees and peach orchards and peanut farms and lots and lots of cotton fields."

"And what does your family do?"

"What do they do?" I wasn't really sure how to answer her question. "My father's always been a businessman, dealing in...various different things. My mother grew up on a huge plantation with many slaves. After the war, she owned and operated a sawmill for awhile, but she gave that up when I was a little girl." I hesitated, and she waited for me to continue. "What about your family?"

"We've always lived for the dance. I've been studying ballet since I was a very young girl."

"George told me that was how you met Nicky."

"Yes. My family and his have close ties. We've always performed for their Imperial Highnesses."

"And yet you cannot marry him."

Mathilde's eyes narrowed. "Who told you that?"

"George. He told me that the heir to the throne has to marry royalty."

She sighed. "I know that Nicky must some day marry and take over the his duties to his country, and yet...I sometimes wish so that things could always continue as they are now between us. I love Nicky very much, and I know that he loves me as well."

I thought of Alix of Hesse and also of the contents of my parents' letter and concluded that Mathilde may be in for a heartbreaking surprise in the future.


	8. Life In Russia

After that initial encounter, Mathilde and I became close friends. She was closer to me in age than George's sister Xenia was, and I found her lively, intelligent, and engaging. As she was beautiful as well, it was easy to see how Nicholas had fallen for her.

Curious about our respective backgrounds, we spent many hours in one another's company. She expressed a great deal of interest in my traveling companions/servants. "I have never seen skin as dark as theirs, except in photographs in books about Africa." She examined Rufus and Sadie as if they were exhibits in a museum.

"That's where their ancestors were originally from," I told her. "Many years ago, slaves were imported from Africa to work on the huge plantations in the South like the one my mother grew up on."

"Slaves?" Mathilde gave me a look that said, you have got to be kidding me.

"Yes, slaves. It was the only way to keep the plantations going. Then the war came, and the Yankees burned all the plantations to the ground and freed all the slaves. Many of them went north, but a lot of them stayed as well, including Rufus and Sadie's parents."

"That was very loyal of them," Mathilde observed.

"Both my grandparents died long before I was born, but I've always heard that they treated their slaves well," I replied.

"Rather than granting them their freedom, which would have been treating them even better," Mathilde said softly.

"It was the custom." I couldn't believe that I was actually defending my grandparents' lifestyle to a Russian ballerina several years younger than myself who was carrying on a passionate affair with a future Tsar.

Having never done anything more than exchange an occasional stolen kiss, I was burning with curiosity over the physical interactions she and Nicholas shared. What would it be like to be held in a man's arms, to feel his body pressed against your own, his breath upon your face, your body joined with his in the ultimate act of intimacy?

I was dying to ask her these questions and more but didn't dare.

"Do you love George?" she asked me suddenly.

"He's become very special to me," I told her.

She nodded. "A relationship with one of their Imperial Highnesses does wonders for one's career as well."

"In my country, it is unusual for a woman to have a career," I told her. She looked at me as if I'd suddenly began speaking in Chinese.

My first Russian winter arrived early and unbelievably cold. "How on earth do you people live like this?" I asked George through chattering teeth.

"This isn't cold." He laughed. "You have thin skin."

He took me on wondrous adventures I'd never experienced before, sleigh rides, sledding, and ice skating. "I can't believe how beautiful everything is!" I gasped in wonder. "All covered in snow, it's a whole different world! Now I finally know what all those songs we used to sing every Christmas were talking about."

The warmth of a glove-covered hand squeezed mine. "Poor Bonnie."

One day we were ice skating on a frozen pond when I suddenly felt the ice cracking beneath me and felt a sudden stab of fear. "Don't move!" George shouted sharply. A moment later, he held out a long, thick branch to me and screamed for me to grab hold of it. I did, and he pulled me to safety just as the ice collapsed, leaving a giant hole right where I'd been standing.

"Oh my God, Bonnie," George whispered, holding me as if he never wanted to let go. Even through the thickness of our clothing, I could feel his heart pounding madly. Suddenly I felt as if I might swoon. I'd never felt that way before, and it both fascinated and frightened me.

From that moment on, all I could think about was George's arms around me, holding me close. I dreamed about it at night, awakening to realize that his bedroom was only a few doors down from mine, my heart pounding madly as I realized that I didn't dare give into my yearnings.

As Russia used a different calendar, Christmas for us came a couple of weeks before it did for my family back home. That to me seemed strange, but otherwise, the holiday celebration seemed remarkably similar to the ones I'd experienced back home, with only a few exceptions. Jesus, Mary, and the saints were represented by icons rather than statues, and they were called by their Russian or Greek names rather than the Latin ones.

After what seemed to me like almost forever, spring finally arrived. The snow and ice began to melt, flowers bloomed, and on May 9, George celebrated his twenty-first birthday.

"Now I'm an adult as well," he teased me. In response I patted the top of his head, which was rather difficult, as he was nearly a foot taller than me.

We passed two more blissful years together in Tsarskoe Selo before tragedy struck.


	9. A Shocking Plan

The year 1894 brought change swiftly into my life once again. Snow still lay upon the ground when it occurred to me one day that I hadn't seen Mathilde about in a while.

"Nicholas has broken off their relationship," George told me. "Next month he travels to Coburg, Germany for the wedding of Ernst Ludwig of Hesse to Victoria Melita of Edinburgh. While there, he plans to propose to Alix once again." _As George must someday put me aside to marry royalty himself. _I suddenly felt very sad.

"What is it?" George gently lifted my chin to look into my eyes.

"It's simply that...I know that the close friendship you and I share must eventually come to an end as well, for the same reason. Oh, how I shall miss you, dearest George!"

As tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks, George tenderly wiped them away with his thumbs. "I shan't let you go," he swore. "Right now I don't know how, but there has to be a way to keep you in my life, as I can't bear the thought of never seeing you again."

At that time, neither of us could have guessed how quickly the issue would be resolved.

Nicholas returned from Germany victorious, having finally succeeded in persuading Alix to accept his proposal.

"So true love does indeed conquer all," George remarked wryly.

"Patience does indeed have its rewards," Nicholas agreed. His eyes shone with happiness, and euphoria was written all over his face. _Alix is the woman he truly loves. _For a fleeting second I remembered Mathilde, the way her eyes had always sparkled when she spoke of 'her Nicky.'

"Alix of Hesse must truly be a remarkable woman," I said to George later, when we were alone.

"My parents found her cold and distant when she visited five years ago," George told me. I thought of the vibrant, ebullient Mathilde and was baffled that Nicholas preferred the cold, distant German, even if she _was _a Princess.

The following summer, less than a week after Nicholas had left for England to visit his fiancee and her grandmother, Queen Victoria, she came to see me. I was astonished, as I'd thought I'd never see her again.

"You must help me." Her eyes were wild with desperation. "I have no one else to turn to but you. You see," she placed her hand protectively on her abdomen. "I am carrying Nicholas' son."

Shocked, I could only stare.

"He doesn't know," she continued. "And he must never find out."

"But...why?" I'd found my voice at last.

"The future Tsarina, Alix of Hesse, carries a bleeding disorder in her blood." Mathilde's voice was low, conspiratorial. "It's passed through the mother's line but affects only baby boys. Any son Alix gives Nicky will likely be affected by it as well."

"And how do you know all of this?" I asked suspiciously.

"I have spies," she said simply.

_Spies? _"But what does all this have to do with me?" I asked.

"As Alix may never be able to give Nicky a healthy son, I fear that she may see any other son of his, even an illegitimate one, as a threat to her own sons."

I gasped. "So much so that...she would seek to have him eliminated?"

"I fear that that may indeed be the case. You and George must raise my son as your own, Bonnie. As merely the son of a Grand Duke, Alix won't see him as nearly as much of a threat."

"But George and I..."

"I know that you love one another. I've already spoken to George, and he's in full agreement with the plan."

"But you don't even know that the baby will be a boy..."

"It will be. Of that I am certain. His name shall be Vladimir, and he shall be called Vova."

Stunned beyond words, I immediately went in search of George. I found him in his father's study, talking with the Captain of the Imperial Navy. He glanced briefly at me and signaled for me to wait a moment. Shortly afterwards, he dismissed the Captain, took my hand, and led me to his bedroom, where he closed the door behind us as soon as I entered.

"Mathilde came to see me," I told him.

"Yes."

I took a deep breath. "She told me that she's carrying Nicky's child, and that she wants us to raise it as our own. She said that you're in agreement with that."

"Can't you see, Bonnie?" he asked. "It's the perfect solution! We'll travel together to France and elope. I'll have the servants explain to my parents that I've traveled to the Caucasus to complete more military training and you've been called home on a family emergency. A couple of years later, we'll return to Russia with Mathilde's son. No one will be the wiser."

"But your parents will never accept me as your wife..."

He silenced me with a kiss.


	10. A Daring Deception

From that moment on, life changed so quickly that it made my head spin. Early one morning, before anyone else in the royal household had arisen, George and I, along with Mathilde and our servants, began the long journey from Tsarskoe Selo to Paris. To me, it was exciting, like the Wild West adventures I'd grown up hearing about. George, however, seemed sad about leaving his family, and even Mathilde, usually so lively and gregarious, seemed unusually solemn as well.

I wondered how on earth she'd be able to go through with it. How could she carry a child within her body for nine months, give birth to it, and then relinquish it for others to raise? If our roles had been reversed, I wasn't sure at all that even concern for the child's safety could have brought me to do such a thing.

As I gazed, fascinated, at the scenery passing swiftly outside the window of the train, I couldn't help but daydream about what it would be like to finally be George's wife, to love him as my mother loved my father, as women have loved men throughout the ages.

"We won't be able to consummate our marriage until after Mathilde gives birth, you know," George told me. "If you were to conceive before her own baby is born, it would ruin the whole plan."

"Of course." I swallowed my disappointment. "Mathilde told me she had spies, and that was how she knew about Alix's hereditary blood disorder."

George nodded. "My father's first cousin, Sergei Mikhailovich. He's in love with Mathilde and would do anything she asked him to do. His brother, Sandro, is engaged to my sister Xenia."

"But they're cousins!"

"Yes." He seemed puzzled that I was surprised. Then I remembered that Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton had been cousins, too.

We reached Paris, George located a justice of the peace, and within half an hour or so, we were married. Just like that. No church, no minister, no flowers, no music, no wedding gown and tuxedo, and no guests, only Rufus and Sadie as witnesses.

As soon as the ceremony was over, George took me into his arms and kissed me deeply, using his tongue for the first time. "At last you are mine, dearest Bonnie," he murmured. My disappointment over the plainness and bare-bones formality of our wedding instantly forgotten, I felt desire well up within me. The day we could finally surrender to our passion seemed impossibly far away.

George's eyes met mine, and in them I saw the same frustration I myself felt. Abruptly he let me go.

"Come, let's explore Paris," he said quietly. It was indeed a wondrous city. In addition to the Eiffel Tower, there were museums, gardens, boutiques, large shopping centers, cozy little cafes, and many, many other places to visit. I truly felt as if I were on my honeymoon.

By the end of that first day, I was exhausted. In a room at the inn, I sat at the table with a paper and pen before me, intending to write to my parents, but I fell asleep after writing the first line. The next thing I knew, i was lying in bed with the sun streaming in through the window. With a start, I realized that it was already morning again.

"So, Mrs. Romanova, did you sleep well?" laughed George. I saw that he was sitting beside my bed, and that before me was a tray with coffee and a croissant.

"I don't even remember how I got here." I noticed that I was still wearing the clothing I'd had on the previous day.

"I found you slumped over the table and carried you to the bed and tucked you in." George was freshly dressed in immaculate clothing and smelled of soap and aftershave. I felt another wave of desire flood over me, one even more powerful than the one that I'd felt the previous day.

"I guess yesterday must have really worn me out." I saw that his eyes wouldn't meet mine. "I was going to write a letter to my parents, and then suddenly..." The memory of the previous night made me yawn.

George chuckled softly. "There will be plenty of time to do that later. Wouldn't you like to see more of Paris first?"

"Oh, yes!" I exclaimed.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast, then." George smiled and patted my knee affectionately.


End file.
